Chapter 9: Rivalry with Kidō and Hohō!

Name: Grayson.

Level 9. (1100/2600).

Class: Student of the Shinōreijutsuin.

Health: 150/150

Stamina: 150/150

Reiatsu: 150/150

Skills-

Strength: 60/100 (0/10)

Speed: 40/100 (0/10)

Intelligence: 50/100 (0/10)

Enhanced skills -

Zanjutsu: 5/10 (0/10)

Hakuda: 2/10 (0/10)

Kidō: 0/10 (0/10)

Skill points available: 2.

Grayson could see his current stats as he sat on his knees listening to the instructor while he explained the basics of Kidō.

He could see that he had two skill points left and wasn't sure whether to save them or place them into Kidō.

"Kidō is combat based on advanced spells. These spells are produced with strong reiryoku and fall into two categories, Hadō for direct attacks, and Bakudō for battle support." The instructor explained.

Grayson was still trapped deep in thought as he weighed up what he should do, not paying attention to the instructor as he asked him a question.

"Grayson, are you paying attention?" He asked a second time.

Grayson still didn't hear him and the instructor suddenly shouted at him, getting his attention.

"Grayson!"

Grayson suddenly looked up at his instructor realising he was speaking to him and all of the other students were looking at him.

"Are you back with us now?" The instructor said as he crossed his arms over his chest not looking impressed.

Grayson rubbed the back of his head as he apologised.

"Perhaps you would like to demonstrate for everyone, considering you feel like you don't need to listen to my instruction." The instructor suddenly said with a smirk.

Grayson was put on the spot and had no choice.

"Looks like Kidō it is." He thought as he quickly placed a skill points into his Kidō bumping it up to level one.

Grayson's mind was flooded with the basic knowledge of Kidō and suddenly two subsections opened up, allowing him to chose between Hadō and bakudō.

"Why don't you come here and show us all how it is done eh?" The sensei said pointing to the spot at the front.

The class was sat on a wooden floor overlooking a shooting range of some sort.

Grayson stood up while still looking at his skill page, quickly choosing Hadō to see what would happen.

-You have unlocked the Hadō skill tree.- The system suddenly said in his head while he walked to the front.

"Alright class, let's watch as Grayson here attempts to use Hadō."

Grayson was certainly nervous as he had never used any kidō before, and abruptly was being forced to have a go in front of everyone.

"I have already explained Hadō number 31 shakkahō. Let's see if you were listening?" He then said as he crossed his arms, waiting to see what Grayson would do.

Grayson took another look at his Hadō skill tree, seeing a large number of skills that were currently locked due to a lack of intelligence level.

He soon found number 31 shakkahō was available to unlock and placed his last skill point into it, feeling the knowledge about the skilled flow into his mind.

Grayson closed his eyes for a moment as he finished processing the information and slowly cast his hand in front of him.

"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hadō number 31, shakkahō!" Grayson said as he held his hand in front of him, letting a red ball of fire burst to life before he fired it at the target at the end of the lane.

His shakkahō hit the centre of the target and blew it to pieces, getting a shocked expression for everyone including the sensei.

-Quest complete. Use kidō for the first time. You have earned 500 exp.- the system said.

"I did it!" Grayson said, not believing his eyes.

"Sit down!" The instructor said, clearly angry that his plan to humiliate him had failed.

Grayson did as he asked, sitting back down with a large smile on his face. The other students were all impressed, as this was the second time Grayson had shown impressive skills, first in Zanjutsu and now in Kidō.

"Alright, those at the front take up your position and have a go." The instructor said.

The front row of students stood up and took their positions as they prepared to attempted hadō 31.

After seeing Grayson do it, Izumi was determined to do well, focusing as hard as she could while saying the incantation.

"Hadō 31 shakkahō! She shouted, firing the Kidō at her target.

The ball of fire hit its target but was off ever so slightly and only took out half of it.

"Blast it," Izumi muttered under her breath, biting her lip a little.

The others at the front had either missed the target or couldn't get enough energy into the hadō spell, resulting in it not even reaching the target.

"Well done Izumi." The instructor said as he noted her results down.

"Alright next!" The instructor shouted, getting the next row up to have a try.

This time Jaku and Rocko were up with the other students. Jaku had watched Grayson perform a perfect shakkahō, hitting its mark without any trouble. Now he was determined to do the same, not losing to him.

"Hadō number 31, shakkahō they all shouted after chanting the incantation firing their kidō attacks at the set of fresh targets.

Jaku did well and his attack blasted the target to pieces just like Grayson's had without trouble.

"Alright!" he shouted.

Rocko didn't have any such luck as his spell backfired almost blowing himself up, getting a shock from everyone around him.

"You idiot! Don't put too much energy into it without control otherwise, it will backfire!" The instructor shouted marching over to him.

Rocko was a big guy and wasn't really phased by the explosion, he was however covered in black soot from his attack, leaving his face and uniform dirty.

"Alright last group." The instructor said as he placed his head into his hands.

This time Kimiko stepped up and cast her kidō spell with ease, taking everyone by surprise.

"Hadō 31 shakkahō!" She shouted after her incantation, firing a huge ball of fire that hit its mark, completely annihilating the target.

Everyone was impressed as they watched from the sidelines. Even the instructor was impressed, marking her name on his sheet.

"Well done Kimiko." The instructor said noting that everyone had attempted to use the kidō attack.

"Alright, we will continue with another three rounds of chanting the incantation, and them another five shots each on the range!" The instructor shouted, letting everyone know what they would be doing for the rest of the class.

"Yes sensei!" Everyone shouted as they took their positions and started to practice.

The class did as they were instructed and finally got another shot at target practice.

Grayson shot all five of his shakkahō's on target, doing his best to try and play with how much spiritual pressure he could pump into the attack. Turns out he got an indicator pop up at the side of his vision telling him how strong his attack was. If he tried to put too much energy into the attack the indicator would start to glow orange and finally red before flashing as a warning.

Grayson didn't have to take it any further than that to know what would happen if he did after seeing Rocko do it another five times.

Jaku did his best to keep up with Grayson, showing he possessed skill in the use of his kidō. Izumi too as she did well, hitting her mark every time like the others. However, Kimiko seemed to take to kidō extremely well and outclassed everyone in its use.

Once the class was finished they were given a short break before they would meet outside on one of the training fields for their final two classes of the day.

Hohō and Hakuda. Each an important style of fighting for a soul reaper, each having its own strengths.

Grayson quickly checked his stats while he and the others got a quick drink, helping to restore their energy from their kidō class.

Name: Grayson.

Level 9. (1600/2600).

Class: Student of the Shinōreijutsuin.

Health: 150/150

Stamina: 110/150

Reiatsu: 60/150

Skills- Hadō 31 Shakkahō level 1/10.

Strength: 60/100 (0/10)

Speed: 40/100 (0/10)

Intelligence: 50/100 (0/10)

Enhanced skills -

Zanjutsu: 5/10 (0/10)

Hakuda: 2/10 (0/10)

Kidō: 1/10 (0/10)

Skill points available: 0.

He could see that hadō number 31 had been added to his skills list, which also had its own level system. He guessed that the more he levelled it up the stronger it would be. Grayson could also see that it cost ten points of his reiatsu unless he pumped more to try and increase the power.

Izumi walked over to him and Grayson closed his stats screen smiling at her as he looked her way.

Izumi smiled back and offered him some water.

"You really are talented, Grayson." She said as she stood over him, taking a sip of her drink.

Grayson thanked her as he took a large gulp of his water, feeling it revitalizing his stamina.

"So are you Izumi." He said before he stood back up, feeling fresh again.

"Here they are!" Jaku said as he walked over with Rocko and Kimiko.

"Hey guys," Grayson said.

Izumi also nodded to them, greeting them.

"So how amazing was kidō class! I had no idea I was such a hotshot." Jaku said pointing to himself with his thumb.

Kimiko scoffed as she crossed her arms.

"You're alright, but don't go getting ahead of yourself."

Jaku sweated dropped as he acknowledged her words.

"Whatever! Hohō and Hakuda class is next! Then we will see who's the best!" He said giving a cocky smile to the others.

Grayson also smiled, knowing he already had two points in his hand to hand fighting slot, making him feel confident.

"I can't wait to see how good you are with your hands." Kimiko suddenly said to Grayson as she took his arm in hers, getting a shocked look from Izumi.

Grayson smiled at her as he rubbed the back of his head while he laughed her advance off.

"We should get going, we don't want to be late." Izumi suddenly said as she turned her back letting her hair flick from her sudden movement.

"She's right you guys." Rocko then said as he to turned around and started walking.

"Shit, let's move!" Jaku said also agreeing, getting everyone to follow as they headed towards the training field.

Luckily they made it on time before their instructor had, saving them a world of trouble.

Once the instructor finally arrived he was greeted by the class and then proceeded to start the lesson, not wasting any time.

"Alright class, this will be your introduction to Hohō techniques and Hakuda. You will be practising these techniques as well as testing them against each other, sparring one another.

The class nodded as he explained what they would be doing, not bothering to ask if anyone had any questions.

"Now pay close attention to the first technique." The instructor said as he prepared to demonstrate.

Everyone watched as the instructor suddenly disappeared, only reappearing before he vanished in the blink of an eye again.

He reappeared standing back where he had started, getting a mumbled response from the class as they weren't sure what had just happened.

"I can see by your expression that none of you is sure what just happened there." He said with a smile on his face.

"That was Hohō. Also, know as the flash step." He said.

"Flash step is a master movement skill of the Hohō technique. It is basically how fast one can reach point A to point B in as few steps as possible. It requires year's of training to reach such a level. However, even at the basic level, it can be used for defensive fighting and could save your life." He then went on to explain.

The entire class was impressed but remained in silence as they waited for their sensei's instructions.

"Now I want you to find a partner and practice your footwork and movement speed against each other." The instructor said after showing them the basic technique.

Everyone paired up, finding a partner quickly. Izumi was about to partner with Grayson but Kimiko suddenly latched onto his arm.

"Will you partner with me, Grayson?" She said smirking at Izumi.

Izumi frowned a little and was forced to find someone else to partner with, clearly not happy with it.

Grayson smiled awkwardly at Izumi and Kimiko, not being able to say no to her.

"Alright class begin!" The instructor said, watching as the students started to practice the techniques he had shown them.

Grayson wasn't sure how to do it and decide to ask the system.

"Hey, system how do I go about using Hadō?"

-Answer. Your speed and reiatsu affect how quickly you can move.- The system explained.

"Do you want me to go first?" Kimiko asked looking at him as he stared into space for a moment.

Grayson snapped out of it and nodded.

"Yeah, go for it, Kimiko." He said giving her a grin.

Kimiko used the basic footwork and did her best to move around Grayson, dashing around him from side to side before retreating and advancing.

Grayson was impressed. Kimiko had shown a good amount of skill, managing not to fall over like some of the others.

"It's easy once you get the hang of it, why don't you give it a try?" She said as she stopped, crossing her hands behind her back.

Grayson nodded, taking a ready stance as he focused his reiatsu before he used the footwork they had been shown.

His body moved rather quickly, dashing around Kimiko with ease as he placed his feet in the right way, using the footwork they had been shown.

Grayson suddenly started moving so fast that he vanished and reappeared in front of Kimikp, skidding to a halt.

"Wow Grayson that was amazing!" She said as she clapped her hands for him watching in amazement.

Grayson smiled as he looked down at his feet before the system sounded in his head.

-Quest complete, use Hohō and flash step for the first time. You have been awarded 400 exp.-

The rest of the class did their best to try and get the footwork down, spending some good time on it before the instructor finally stopped them.

"Alright, class. Now that you have had time to practice somewhat, it's time to see just how quickly you can move." He said.

"The first one to reach that flag pole over there and bring me back the flag will be the winner!" He said issuing the challenge.

Jaku punched his hand, stepping forwards as he spoke.

"Piece of cake! I've already got this in the bag!"

The other students also got excited about the challenge and they all took their ready positions.

Kimiko looked over to Izumi, giving her a somewhat dirty look before she looked back at the flag.

Izumi returned the look and then she too looked to the goal ahead. Grayson couldn't help notice there was a little tension forming between the two of them. But, he had his own rivalry to worry about as Jaku was glaring at him, challenging him with his eyes.

-New quest. Win the race and return the flag. Reward 500 exp.- The system said.

"Everybody take your positions. On your marks... Go!" The instructor shouted with a wave of his hand.

All of the students set off running as fast as they could, each of them trying their best to use the Hohō techniques and achieve a flash step, even if only small.

It came as no surprise that Grayson, Jaku, Izumi and Kimiko dashed straight to the front of the class, already being faster than the others by far.

The four of them were neck and neck, with Izumi and Kimiko glaring daggers at one another as they quickly took the lead, leaving Grayson and Jaku behind.

The entire class watched as the two girls dashed forwards moving faster than any of the others, each of them tied as they moved at the same speed.

Izumi suddenly picked up the pace, gaining the lead much to Kimiko's distress, as she tried to match her.

Izumi had the flag within her grasp, reaching out a hand to take it when suddenly a rock hit her hand, knocking it away from the flag and her off balance.

Izumi lost her footing from the sudden shock and triped, tumbling onto the ground hard as she rolled before coming to a stop.

Kimiko grabbed the flag, looking at Izumi with a smirk, not stopping to help her.

She soon reached the instructor and handed the flag to him, being announced the winner. But as she looked around for Grayson to celebrate she found him by Izumi as he helped her up, checking if she was alright.

"Are you ok Izumi?" He asked as he leaned down to check if she was alright.

Izumi was alright, but her ankle looked a little swollen.

"I'm ok... But my ankle hurts a little." She said a little embarrassed.

Grayson helped her up slowly and took her arm over his shoulder to help support her weight.

Izumi couldn't help but blush as he held her, looking down at the floor from the embarrassment.

"Come on let's get you patched up." He said smiling at her.

Izumi nodded before she looked back down at the ground, her cheeks a little red.

Kimiko watched in anger as Grayson gave his attention to Izumi, crossing her arms as she scoffed, turning her back on them.

"Alright class that's enough for Hadō class. Take a quick break for now, and Grayson, take Izumi to get that ankle looked at." He said as he noticed she had hurt it.

"We will resume with Hakuda after the break." He then said before he dismissed them.

Grayson smiled at Izumi as he helped her walk.

"Let's get you to the medic. They will patch you up in no time."

Izumi nodded, still looking down at the ground as they headed off.

Meanwhile, Jaku walked over to Kimiko to see what was the matter with her.

"Is everything ok? You seem stressed." He said having known her too long to know when something was bothering her.

"It's nothing." She said with a sigh.

"I think she likes Grayson," Rocko said bluntly as he appeared next to them.

Kimiko slapped her forehead before she punched Rocko in his large arm.

"Idiot don't say silly things like that out loud!"

"Then why are you bright red?" Rocko said again not even feeling her strike.

Jaku also knew he was speaking sense and nodded.

"Well, looks like you have your work cut out for you Kimiko. I mean Izumi already looks pretty close to him." He said teasing her.

The three of them were family. Having grown up from being young together, knowing how to push each other's buttons in the right way.

"That doesn't matter. I won't lose to her." Kimiko said with a wicked glint in her eye.

Jaku and Rocko smiled awkwardly as they looked at their friend.

"Well, Grayson. Good luck to you buddy." Jaku thought as he turned around with Rocko, who was thinking the same thing.

"Come on, let's head to the next class." He then said, noticing that Kimiko wasn't coming.

"I'm coming." She said after a moment, watching as Grayson and Izumi head off towards the medical unit.

"I won't lose to you." She said under her breath one last time as she glared at Izumi. Izumi felt her glare and turned to look at her, smirking back as Grayson held onto her.

However, Grayson had already clocked their rivalry that had seemed to form over him, sweat dropping as he thought about what he was supposed to do.

-New quest. Take Izumi to the doctor. Reward 600 exp.- The system said.

"Well, at least that's an easy one." He thought, letting the worries slip away for now.

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Alright guys that's the end of this chapter! Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed it!